Nearly $17 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grants have been awarded to the Silicon Valley public-transportation systems.

Two of the three grants will fund hybrid buses for Santa Clara County's Valley Transportation Authority and San Mateo County's Samtrans system. The third grant will fund new Caltrain railroad bridges in San Mateo County.

Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, said investment in transit is a great use of stimulus money because the work creates jobs in construction and transit operations. Other benefits are fewer automobile commutes by residents and less traffic, with less consumption of energy, Eshoo said in an announcement of the grants.

The VTA will purchase 20 40-foot-long hybrid buses under a $12,251,784 grant.

Samtrans will purchase two 40-foot replacement buses and two 35-foot replacement buses under a $2,045,371 grant.

Caltrain will fund the San Mateo County Railroad Bridge Replacement Project under a $2,684,596 grant.

— Mike Lata

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